DRC: Bukavu - World March of Women

Bukavu, 18 October 2010 - Peace and demilitarisation is the main theme of the third International Action of the World March of Women whose activities were held in Bukavu, South Kivu province from 13 to 17 October 2010. Thousands of people including DRC's First Lady Ms. Olive Lembe Kabila were in attendance.

On Wednesday 13 October 2010, Ibanda high school in Bukavu offered a forum for the closing activities of the third International Action through a World March of Women launched on 8 March of the current year. About 250 representatives from 48 countries and 1500 delegates from other provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as officials from the host province attended.

In her speech, Ms Miriam Nobre, coordinator of the International Secretariat of the World March of Women, explained the event indicating that the World March of Women (MMF) is a world movement organised by women to fight inequalities and gender-based discriminations, more particularly those suffered by women. Its objective is to make a better world in which equality, freedom, solidarity, justice and peace would prevail. The first Action took place in 2000, and the second in 2005. The third Action began on 8 March 2010; it organised “debates and activities at regional level: for Asia in Philippines, for Europe in Turkey and for Americas in Columbia,” she said.

On Thursday 14 and Friday 15 October, participants met in panels to reflect on themes like common property and public service, violence against women, women's activities; women's economic empowerment, as well as peace and demilitarisation.

The coordinator of the International Secretariat MMF revealed that the choice of Bukavu to host the closing ceremony of the third Action was inspired by the determination to stop “a situation where women's body has become an object of war” in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The DRC minister of Gender, Family and Children, Ms Marie-Ange Lukiana while hailing the choice of venue said, “the improvement in women's condition in DRC, and more particularly in the east, should be everybody's business and is a major challenge for the world.” Ms Lukiana's speech highlighted the need for concrete actions “to fight violence against women and eradicate poverty among them.”

The message of Ms. Michelle Bachelet, the UN Under-Secretary General for Women, read by an envoy for the occasion, highlighted that at political level, Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000 by the UN Security Council and the resolutions on women, peace and security later on, to highlight “the renewed understanding of the correlations among women, peace and security. It also called for more robust actions for women's participation and commitment to the peace process, disarmament operations, security sector reform, post-conflict planning and transitional justice.” The Under-Secretary-General noted that “the renewed support of the international community for women's economic empowerment, their participation in decision-making process and their rights to protection, are today instrumental in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, more particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

In his speech, the Governor of the host province, Mr. Marcellin Cishambo Ruhoya, acknowledged the fact that “the four priorities of the World March: peace and demilitarisation, women's work, violence against women, common properties and public services do tally with the concerns of the Congolese population.” Governor Cishambo also raised the energetic, mining, agricultural and touristic resources which South-Kivu abounds in, and saw in women “a great potential (…) ready to help DR Congo recover.”

The DRC First Lady, Ms Olive Lembe Kabila said, “the presence of delegates from 48 countries (...) is a reflection of the determination and willingness from the peace and justice-loving men and women from across the world to denounce attacks against civilian populations, more particularly women and children, and to express their disapproval of all forms of violence against women.” The organisers of the forum also took the opportunity to travel to Mwenga on Saturday 16 October, a territory situated in the South West Bukavu to honour the memory of the women who were buried alive in 1998. Ms Olive Lembe Kabila further requested the involvement of all for the achievement of the four pillars of the World March of Women and urged “all decision-makers to add their voices to the world's women for concrete actions to be taken and appropriate mechanisms are put in place to help implement UNSC Resolutions 1325, 1820, 1888 and 1889.”

In support of the World March of Women, MONUSCO facilitated flight for a hundred delegates of the Civil Society and Government officials from all the provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. About 800 kilograms of teaching materials meant for the MMF stands were flown from Kinshasa to Bukavu by MONUSCO. The United Nations Mission in the DRC also availed to the March two of its helicopters and several vehicles for the ceremony on 16 October at Mwenga, a territory in the South West of Bukavu, to honour the memory of the women buried alive in 1998. Weather conditions unfortunately made the use of helicopters impossible. Besides, following acute water shortage suffered by the town, MONUSCO assured daily supply of 15000 litres of water to cover the various needs of the MMF. MONUSCO's contribution to the MMF also included 55 Kva power generator, tents, chairs and provision of joint security mechanism with Congolese National Police and Army for rapid response.

To close the activities, on Sunday 17 October, several thousand women marched from Kadutu, Ibanda and Bagira, the three communes of the town, to converge at the Independence Square while singing “we will continue marching as long as all women are not free.”